Scientists discover why coffee doesn't taste as good as it smells

It's a universal truth that freshly brewed coffee smells better than it tastes and for that, you can blame your "two senses of smell," according to scientists from the University of London. After that first delicious aroma hit inhaled from our environment, they say a second sense of smell is activated when coffee is swallowed and the aroma hits the nose from inside of the mouth, as the air comes up the nasal passage and out through the nose. As 80 percent of taste sensation hits us through small receptors in our noses, not on our tongues, the results are different depending on what direction the odors are moving. This "second sense of smell" in the brain is less receptive to flavor and on the flipside, this is why smelly cheese can seem repugnant but taste delicious when you eat it. Interestingly, chocolate, along with lavender, are the only two aromas that are the same from both inside and out. Chocolate: Always reliable. [Source]

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